Over the course of closer to eight decades of existence than not in the NBA and the Basketball Association of America from which it sprung before that, the Boston Celtics have appeared in no less than a total of 36 games played on the most important day of the league’s regular season.
That would of course be the league’s annual slate of Christmas Day games, with the Celtics having uncharacteristically lost more of those contests than they have won over the years. 16 wins of those 36 tilts, to be specific. Now, ahead of the Celtics having their 37th such game on Christmas Day against their age-old Western Conference rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston can get things back on track with a win.
But let’s take a look at those other Christmas Day contests first.
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1948 - Philadelphia Warriors 80 vs. Boston Celtics 77
1949 - Rochester Royals 88 vs. Boston Celtics 79
1950 - Rochester Royals 90 vs. Boston Celtics 77
1951 - Minneapolis Lakers 100 vs. Boston Celtics 93
1952 - New York Knicks 97 vs. Boston Celtics 84
1953 - Fort Wayne Pistons 108 vs. Boston Celtics 79
1954 - Boston Celtics 108 at Milwaukee Hawks 99
1955 - Boston Celtics 115 at Minneapolis Lakers 112
1956 - Philadelphia Warriors 89 vs. Boston Celtics 82
1957 - Philadelphia Warriors 115 vs. Boston Celtics 105
1958 - Boston Celtics 129 at New York Knicks 120
1959 - Boston Celtics 123 at New York Knicks 119
1961 - Boston Celtics 127 at Syracuse Nationals 122
1964 - Boston Celtics 118 vs. Detroit Pistons 106
1965 - Boston Celtics 113 at Baltimore Bullets 99
1967 - Boston Celtics 134 at New York Knicks 124
1969 - Phoenix Suns 127 vs. Boston Celtics 116
1971 - Boston Celtics 99 at Cincinnati Royals 94
1974 - Phoenix Suns 110 vs. Boston Celtics 96
1980 - Boston Celtics 117 at New York Knicks 108
1985 - New York Knicks 113 vs. Boston Celtics 104 (2 OT)
1991 - Chicago Bulls 121 vs. Boston Celtics 99
2002 - New Jersey Nets 117 vs. Boston Celtics 81
2008 - Los Angeles Lakers 92 vs. Boston Celtics 83
2009 - Boston Celtics 86 at Orlando Magic 77
2010 - Orlando Magic 86 vs. Boston Celtics 78
2011 - New York Knicks 106 vs. Boston Celtics 104
2012 - Boston Celtics 93 at Brooklyn Nets 76
2016 - Boston Celtics 119 at New York Knicks 114
2017 - Washington Wizards 111 at Boston Celtics 103
2018 - Boston Celtics 121 vs. Philadelphia 76ers 114 (OT)
2019 - Boston Celtics 118 at Toronto Raptors 102
2020 - Brooklyn Nets 123 at Boston Celtics 95
2021 - Milwaukee Bucks 117 vs. Boston Celtics 113
2022 - Boston Celtics 139 vs. Milwaukee Bucks 118
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